High-tension-wire cutter



Dec. 31, 1929. H. w. BODENDlECK HIGH TENSION WIRE CUTTER Fil'ed April 6, 192! JN VENT??? 2 any Wjoc/en 1'65 19y QTII'OENEY'S Patented Dec. 31, 19.29

UNITE. srATs HENRY w. BODENDIEC'K, or

. MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TAYLORVILLE, ILLINOIS, 'IO TIPS 'rooL COMPANY, INCORPORATED, or TAYLORVEL'LLE,

FFHC

ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATIUN OF ILLINOIS HIGH-TENSION-WIRE CUTTER Application filed April. 6, 192?.

This invention relates to Wire cutters of the type that areused by linemen for severing a high tension wire that is located at considerable distance away from the operator who is using the cutter.

One object of my invention 1s to provide a powerful high tension wire cutter that is equipped with a novelcutter actuating mechanism of simple design.

Another object of my invention is to provide a high tension wire cutter whose cutting members are equipped with groups of cutting edges disposed at the upper end of.

the cutter and at both sides of the cutter,thereby greatly facilitating the operation of the cutter when it is being used in a network of closely arranged overhead wires.

And still another object of my invention is to provide a high tension wire cutter that is equipped with a means for enabling the cutterto be temporarily suspended from an overhead wire. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevational View, partly broken away, of a high tension Wire cutter constructed in accordance with my present invention, showing the cutting members closed.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, showing the cutting members open.

Figure 3 is a Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a ciprocating actuating device; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view, taken on the line H of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Briefly described, my invention consists of a high tension wire cutter that comprises a long wooden pole or handle formed of any suitable non-conducting material, co-operating cutting members arranged at the upper end of said handle and an operating mechanism comprising a reciprocating actuating device constructed so that when it moves longitudinally in one direction, it will engage and positively move at least one of said cut ting members in a direction to cause said memers to sever the wire. I prefer to equip the view taken at right angles to perspective view of the re Serial No. 181,581.

lower end with a socket 1 that receives the upper end of the handle G, and provided at its upper end with a bifurcated portion formed by two parallel guides 2 that carry a horizontally-disposed pin, bolt or shaft 3 on which the cutting members A are oscillatingly mounted. The cutting members A can be equipped with any suitable kind of co-operat ing cutting edges that will sever a wire with a shear cut when said members move relatively to each other in one direction, or when one of said members moves relatively to the other in a certain direction In order that the cutter may be used conveniently in a network of closely arranged overhead wires, without the necessity-of twisting and turning the cutter considerably, I prefer to provide the members A with a top set of cutting notches 4 arranged at the upper ends of said members, and two side sets of cutting notches 4 and 4 varranged at the opposite sides of said members. By moving the cutter laterally in one direction the co-operating cutting edges 4 at one side of the cutter can be brought into operative engagement with a wire, by moving the cutter laterally in the opposite direction the co-operating cutting edges 4 at the opposite sideof the cutter can be brought into operative engagement with a cutter is equipped with a plurality of separate and distinct groups of cutting edges, it can be used for a long time, without the necessity of re-sharpening the cutting members.

The operating mechanism of the cutter comprises a slidingly mounted reciprocating actuating device, designated as an entirety by the reference character D, which is of such design or construction that when it is moved longitudinally in one direction it will close the cutting members and cause them to sever a wire. So far this feature of my invention. is concerned, it is immaterial whether the cutter is provided with one stationary cutting member and one movable cutting member, or is provided with two movable cutting members. When the cutter is provided with one stationary and one movable cutting member the actuating device D will be provided. with a cam or inclined surface that co-operates with a portion on the movable cutting member to positively move said cutting member into its closed position. and when the cutter is provided with two movable or oscillating cutting members, as shown herein, the actuating device D will be pro vided with two cams or inclined surfaces disposed so that when said actuating device moves longitudinally in one direction, the cutting members A will be moved positively in a direction to sever a wire that is positioned between opposed cutting edges on said members. In addition to the slidingly mounted device D above referred to, the operating mechanism of the cutter comprises a vertically reciprocating rod 5 that is insulated or which. is formed from insulating, material, and an operating lever 6 arranged at the lower end of the handle D and connected by a link 7 to the lower end of the rod 5, the upper end of said rod 5 being connected to the reciprocating actuating device D previously referred to. Various other means can be used. however, for imparting reciprocating movement to the actuating device D. without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In the form of my invention herein illusrated the cutting members A are provided with arms A that project downwardly and outwardly, as shown in. Figure 1, and said arms are equipped at their lower ends with rollers 8 that operate on cams or inclined surfaces on the actuating device D. Said actuating device is constructed in the form of a wedge or tapered member that slides vertically between the parallel guides 2 on the supporting member B, and grooves 9 are ormed in the opposite sides of said device D, so as to receive the laterally-projecting arms A on the cutting members A when said members A are moved into their open position to receive a wire. as shown in Figure 2. he actuating member D can be constru ted in one piece, or it can be composed of a plurality of parts and the laterally-projecting arms on the cutting members A can each be provided with a single roller 01' a pair of rollers that operate on one of the inclined surfaces or cam faces of the actuating device D. As shown in Figure 4, guideways 10 are formed in the front and rear sides of the actuating device D and the grooves 9 that are formed in the lateral side face of said device to receive the arms A of the cutting members are offset slightly when the cutting members A are equipped with arms that travel in different parallel planes.

Various means can be used for separating the cutting members A, or for moving said members in a direction to cause the notches f, a and l in said members to register, and thus enable a selected pair of cutting edges to be arranged at opposite sides of the wire that is to be severed. I prefer, however, to use links 11 for connecting the actuating device D to the arms A on the cutting members, so as to cause the members A to be positively separated or moved in a direction to cause the cutting notches in same to register when the actuating device D is moved longitudinally in one direction. As shown in the drawings, a link 11 is provided for each of the cutting members A, which link is pivotally connected at its upper end by means of a pivot pin 12 t0 the actuating device D, and said link is provided at its lower end with an elongated slot 13, as shown in Figure 1. which receives a pin 14 on the lower end of the arm A with which said link cooperates. By constructing the cutter in this manner I obtain a positive movement of the cutting members A when said members are being separated and closed, and I thus produce a very powerful wire cutter that is strong and rugged enough to remain in an operative condition for a long period.

In. using the cutter the operator grasps the handle C in one hand and the operating lever 6 in the other hand and then swings said lever 6 upwardly, as shown in Figure 2, so as to move the cutting members A into such a position that the cutting notches in said members register. The operator then manipulates the handle C in such a way as to position the wire in one of the sets of notches in the cutting members A, after which the lever 6 is pulled downwardly so as to cause the co-operat-ing cutting edges of said notches to shear the wire. Due to the fast that the cutting members are provided with relatively long arms A that are acted upon by a tapered or wedge-shaped device D that moves downwardly between said arms, sufficient leverage will be exerted on the cutting members A. to insure the wire being severed quickly and with clean cut. There is no possibility of the electric current reaching the portions of the tool. which the operator grasps, due, of course, to the fact that the cutting members a handle,

A are perfectly insulated from the pole C and from the lever 6, and there is no possibility of the cutting members A sticking or remaining in their closed position at the completion of the cutting operation, due, of course, to the fact that the upward movement of the lever 6 causes the links 11 which are joined to the actuating device D to positively swing the arms A of the cutting members inwardly into the position shown in Figure 2.

The handle G is provided adjacent its lower end with a vertically-disposed slot, in which the link 7 and a portion of the lever 6 are housed when the tool is not in use, the slotted portion of said handle C being strengthened by a metallic reinforcing member 15 imbedded in said handle and constructed so as to serve as a housing for the link 7 and lever 8 and also as a guideway for an end member 16 at the lower end of the rod 5 to which the link 7 is pivotally connected at 17, as shown in Figure 1.

In order that the tool may be temporarily suspended from an overhead wire the supporting member B that carries the cutting members A is provided with a laterally-projecting hook, as shown in Figure 3, that is adapted to be hooked. over a wire, so as to permit the handle C to hang downwardly from said wire.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A high tension wire cutter, comprising a handle, pivotally mounted cutting members carried by said handle and provided with laterally-projecting arms, rollers on said arms, an operating mechanism comprising a reciprocating wedge-shaped actuating device adapted to move between said arm and positively rock said cutting members, and links connected to said actuating device and to sald arms for positively moving said cutting members into their open position.

2. A high tension wire cutter, comprising a pair of pivotally mounted cutting members at the upperend of said handle ar ranged in parallel vertical planes and provided with arms that project downwardly and outwardly from the axis of movement of said members, a reciprocating actuating device provided with oppositely-inclined sursaid arms and positively rock said cutting members into their closed position when said actuating device moves longitudinally in one direction, links pivotally connected to said arms and to said actuating device for positively rocking said cutting members intotheir open position when said actuating device moves longitudinally in the opposite direction, and a means operable from the lower end of said handle for reciprocating said actuating device.

3. A high tension wire cutter, comprising a handle, a pair of spaced guides at the upper end of said handle, a pair of pivotally mounted cutting members carried by said guides and provided with arms, a wedgeshaped actuating device reciprocatingly mounted between said guides and adapted to co-operat-e with portions on said arms to rock said cutting members into their closed position when said device moves longitudinally in one direction, and links pivotally connected to said arms and to said actuating device for restoring said cutting members to their open position.

4. A high tensionwire cutter, comprising a handle, pivotally mounted cutting members at the upper end of said handle arranged in parallel vertical planes andprovided with arms that project downwardly and outwardly, rollers on said arms, a reciprocating wedge-shaped actuating device arranged to move longitudinally between said rollers so as to positively rock said cutting members into their closed position, and grooves in said actuating device for receiving the arms on said cutting members.

5. A high tension wire cutter, comprising a handle, pivotally mounted cutting members at the upper end of said handle arranged in parallel vertical planes and provided with arms that project downwardly and outwardly, rollers on said arms, a reciprocating wedge-shaped actuating devicearranged to move longitudinally between said rollers so as to positively rock said cutting members into their closed position, grooves in said actuating device for receiving the arms on said cutting members, and links attached to said actuating device and to said arms for restorlng said cutting members to their open position.

,HENRY W. BODENDIEGK. 

